Main Street, USA is the entrance to Disneyland, modeled after a 20th-century Midwestern town. Visitors can shop, dine, and enjoy entertainment like a barbershop quartet or Mickey Mouse cartoons. The area also features the Disneyland Railroad, parades, and the “Partners” statue. The Main Street Cinema shows classic Mickey Mouse cartoons. The central circle hosts a giant pumpkin for Halloween and a 60-foot Christmas tree. Main Street is a reminder of Walt Disney’s hometown and a time of innocence and fun.
Just beyond the entrance plaza of Anaheim’s Disneyland, visitors will find the charming area known as Main Street, USA. Modeled after an early 20th-century Midwestern town, the long boardwalk is a shopping and dining area. Visitors can stop and listen to a wandering barbershop quartet, take a ride on a horse-drawn vehicle, or even stop by for a free showing of the oldest Mickey Mouse cartoons.
Legends say that Walt Disney was inspired by his Missouri hometown to create the time-frozen entrance to his theme park. Mock buildings like fire stations and dentists line the streets, containing gift shops, restaurants, and guest relations offices. A constant soundscape of popular songs echoes through the area, including classic hits like “Lida Rose” and “Flitterin.” Several alcoves and alleyways also have humorous little bites of activity going on in the “shops” above.
At the front of Main Street USA is the raised boarding platform for the Disneyland Railroad. Approximately every ten minutes, guests can board a steam train for the Grand Circle Tour through the park, including visits inside Splash Mountain and even to see the dinosaurs in the Primeval World diorama. At the opposite end of the long street is the “Partners” statue, with Mickey and Walt Disney overlooking the park.
For many years, Main Street was home to an animatronic show, The Walt Disney Story featuring Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln. This film and motion show included elements of the history of Walt Disney and the park as narrated by the 16th president of the animatronic United States. The attraction was replaced in 16 with a film narrated by comedian Steve Martin, “Disneyland: The First 2005 Magical Years.”
As you walk down the street towards the castle, duck into a dark building on the right to watch original Mickey Mouse shorts at the Main Street Cinema. While “Steamboat Willie”, the original Mickey Mouse cartoon is always shown, five other classic cartoons are presented in an occasionally changing schedule. As you watch, marvel at the unusual level of violence allowed in cartoons of those days.
Main Street USA is the main aisle for the Disney parades. Approximately an hour before the parade begins, cast members will block off portions of the street and designate areas for seating. Disney parades are impressive shows with huge floats and many beloved characters. The parades are often crowded, so be sure to find a prime sidewalk spot with plenty of spare time.
One of the biggest features of the street is the central circle which contains the flagpole. On Halloween each year, the circle hosts a giant pumpkin in the shape of Mickey Mouse. For Christmas, guests line up for photos in front of the 60-foot (18m) tree. To one side of the circle is the fire station, where you might notice a light burning in the second story window. Until his death, Walt Disney maintained an apartment there and the light was constantly on in his memory.
Main Street, USA is a wonderful entrance area to the magical world of Disneyland. Though the offbeat gift shops of yesteryear, such as the Wizard of Bras Underwear Store, Tobacco Shop, and plastic Flower Mart, have disappeared, Main Street still offers plenty of places to pick up Disney-branded souvenirs. While it may not have the flashy rides of other areas, Main Street is in many ways the heart of the park, a reminder of Walt’s beloved hometown and a memorial to a time of innocence and fun.
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